Crustacea in the Diet of Eledone Cirrhosa (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) determined by Serological Methods

1986 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 867-879 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. R. Boyle ◽  
M. S. Grisley ◽  
G. Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Positive Reaction ◽  
Visual Recognition ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Carcinus Maenas ◽  
Peak Height ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Field Sample ◽  
Cancer Pagurus ◽  
Prey Identification ◽  
Moray Firth

Serological methods for prey identification have been applied to the gut contents of a field sample of 100 Eledone cirrhosa from the Moray Firth and 7 from the Sound of Jura. Protein extracts from the crop were electrophoresed (Laurell rockets) into antisera raised against potential crustacean prey species, Cancer pagurus, Carcinus maenas, Crangon crangon, Liocarcinus spp. and Nephrops norvegicus. The strengths of the resulting reactions were evaluated on the basis of peak height, staining density and the number of homocentric peaks of immune precipitates. Sixty-two of the 100 Moray Firth animals gave a positive reaction to one or more of the antisera and the most critical assessment of the results ranked the incidence of the prey as Liocarcinus (15) > Nephrops (10) > Cancer (8) > Crangon (2) > Carcinus (0), a total of 35 reactions from 28 animals. Absence of a reaction in the 38 animals from which appreciable sample volumes were also obtained indicates that alternative prey had been consumed. Of the 7 Sound of Jura animals, 4 gave a positive reaction to Nephrops alone. A total of only 24 animals gave any indication of diet by visual recognition of remains. The value and difficulties of the methodology are discussed.

Seasonal and between-year variations in the diet of harbour seals in the Moray Firth, Scotland

1996 ◽  
Vol 74 (6) ◽  
pp. 1110-1121 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Tollit ◽  
P. M. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Diet Composition ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Harbour Seals ◽  
Faecal Samples ◽  
Poor Indicator ◽  
Moray Firth ◽  
Merlangius Merlangus

Predictions concerning the effect of seals upon prey stocks require an understanding of temporal variations in diet composition. This study examined the extent of between-year and seasonal variations in the diet of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) from the Moray Firth, Scotland, between 1989 and 1992. Analyses of fish otoliths and cephalopod beaks collected from 1129 faecal samples were used to derive estimates of the contribution made by each of 35 prey species, based on the number and mass consumed. The key prey, by mass, were sand eels (Ammodytidae) (47%), lesser octopus (Eledone cirrhosa) (27%), whiting (Merlangius merlangus) (6%), flounder (Platichthys flesus) (5%), and cod (Gadus morhua) (4%). Between-year and seasonal fluctuations in the contributions of these species were observed. Sand eels contributed 86–20% in summer and 91–49% in winter. Lesser octopus contributed 0–62% in summer and < 5% in winter, whilst whiting and cod contributed 2–34% in winter and 1–4% in summer. In contrast to 1988, clupeids were unimportant in winter. Differences in diet composition appeared to reflect local changes in the availability of food, especially overwintering clupeids. Results indicate that dietary information obtained from short-term studies can be a poor indicator of subsequent diet composition and should be treated with caution when used to predict the effect of seals on prey populations.

scholarly journals Host Range of the Mikrocytid Parasite Paramikrocytos canceri in Decapod Crustaceans

Pathogens ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morgan Edwards ◽  
Christopher Coates ◽  
Andrew Rowley
Keyword(s):  
Host Range ◽  
Aquatic Invertebrates ◽  
Carcinus Maenas ◽  
Decapod Crustaceans ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Cancer Pagurus ◽  
Shore Crabs ◽  
Limited Host Range ◽  
Porcelain Crabs ◽  
Swimming Crabs

Mikrocytids are a widespread but rather neglected group of parasites of aquatic invertebrates. One such parasite is Paramikrocytos canceri—discovered to infect the antennal gland of the juvenile edible crab, Cancer pagurus, taken from several intertidal sites across the United Kingdom. To determine if this parasite is also present in other species of decapod crustaceans, we surveyed crabs (n = 330) across two contrasting sites in Pembrokeshire (UK). Using a histopathological approach, P. canceri infection was confirmed in variable numbers of edible crabs from both survey sites, 7–44%. No measurable signs of infection were encountered in four other co-located species, including European shore crabs (Carcinus maenas), Montagu’s crabs (Xantho hydrophilus), velvet swimming crabs (Necora puber) and broad-clawed porcelain crabs (Porcellana platycheles). These data imply that P. canceri has a more limited host range than suggested by molecular diagnosis alone.

scholarly journals Interannual variability of diet composition and prey preference of larval redfish (Sebastes spp.) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 581-594
Author(s):  
Corinne M Burns ◽  
Félix Lauzon ◽  
Stéphane Plourde ◽  
Pascal Sirois ◽  
Dominique Robert
Keyword(s):  
Interannual Variability ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Calanoid Copepod ◽  
Fish Larvae ◽  
Larval Survival ◽  
Calanus Finmarchicus ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Reproductive Phenology ◽  
Prey Identification ◽  
Sebastes Mentella

Abstract Spatiotemporal overlap between fish larvae and their planktonic prey is an important source of recruitment variability. Over the past decade, one species of redfish, Sebastes mentella, from the Gulf of St. Lawrence (GSL) produced multiple strong cohorts following decades of low recruitment, which has generated strong interest in identifying potential drivers of larval survival. The present study provides the first detailed, multi-year assessment of larval redfish (Sebastes spp.) trophodynamics. Interannual variability in larval redfish diet composition and prey selectivity was assessed using high-resolution prey identification of larval gut contents and in situ prey fields. Eggs from the calanoid copepod Calanus finmarchicus represented the most frequently consumed prey in 3 of the 4 collection years, and contributed the largest proportion of carbon ingested by redfish larvae in all years. The high consumption of C. finmarchicus eggs by larvae, combined with evidence of positive selection for this taxon in some years, supports the hypothesis of a strong trophic link between larval redfish and a key calanoid copepod in the GSL ecosystem. Our results indicate that future efforts investigating GSL redfish recruitment processes should consider environment-driven variability in the reproductive phenology and abundance of C. finmarchicus.

scholarly journals The trade of live crustaceans in Portugal: space for technological improvements

2008 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 551-559 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Barrento ◽  
António Marques ◽  
Sónia Pedro ◽  
Paulo Vaz-Pires ◽  
Maria Leonor Nunes
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Carcinus Maenas ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Supply System ◽  
High Animal ◽  
Animal Density ◽  
Cancer Pagurus ◽  
Technical Issues ◽  
Technological Improvements

Abstract Barrento, S., Marques, A., Pedro, S., Vaz-Pires, P., and Nunes, M. L. 2008. The trade of live crustaceans in Portugal: space for technological improvements. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 551–559. In Portuguese coastal areas, crabs and lobsters maintained alive until prepared for the table are commercially and economically very important. The trade in live crustaceans, mostly imported animals, is an interlinked and complex chain, from fishing, collection, holding facilities, and transportation, to the end-consumer, the various facilities playing a key role. Along the chain, animals can be affected by several stressors, inducing high mortality with consequent economic loss, and contributing to unsustainable exploitation of the resource. A survey was developed to characterize storage, transportation, and handling issues affecting various crustaceans at Portuguese holding facilities. In all, 22 facilities were identified and categorized by activity and water supply system. Despite the wide variation in their infrastructure, there were no major differences in mortality rate of crustaceans between importers, wholesalers, and exclusively retailers. At all facilities, Necora puber, Cancer pagurus, and Carcinus maenas had higher rates of mortality and shorter duration of captivity than Maja spp., Homarus sp., Panulirus regius, or Palinurus sp. Overall, the main problems identified were technical issues related to careless handling, high animal density, and the varying physiological needs of each species.

The impact of cats and foxes on the small vertebrate fauna of Heirisson Prong, Western Australia. I. Exploring potential impact using diet analysis

1999 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 621 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff Short ◽  
Michael C. Calver ◽  
Danielle A. Risbey
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Food Type ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Frequency Of Occurrence ◽  
Feral Cats ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Introduced Predators ◽  
Small Vertebrate ◽  
The Impact

The diets of cats (Felis catus) and foxes (Vulpes vulpes) killed during predator control at a semi-arid site in Western Australia were studied to see which prey species may be affected by predation from these introduced predators. The number of items, biomass and frequency of occurrence of each food type in the gut contents from 109 feral cats, 62 semi-feral cats and 47 foxes were used to calculate an Index of Relative Importance for each food category for each predator. Mammals were the most important prey group for all three predators, with rabbit being the most highly ranked prey species. The diets of feral and semi-feral cats were similar in dietary diversity but differed in the frequency of occurrence of some food categories. Native rodents, birds and reptiles occurred more frequently and were ranked higher in the diet of feral cats, and food scraps occurred more frequently in the diet of semi-feral cats. The diet of foxes was less diverse than that of either group of cats. Invertebrates and sheep carrion were more important prey categories for foxes than for cats. In the summer–autumn period, foxes ate more sheep carrion and invertebrates than they did in winter–spring. The diet of feral cats was more diverse in summer–autumn, including a greater range of invertebrates and more rodents, birds and reptiles than in the winter–spring period. We predict that cats are more likely to have an impact on small vertebrates at this site and that the control of cats could lead to recoveries in the populations of native rodents, birds and reptiles. By contrast, the control of foxes alone may lead to a rise in cat numbers and a consequent detrimental impact on small vertebrate populations.

scholarly journals A new primer for metabarcoding of spider gut contents

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis Lafage ◽  
Vasco Elbrecht ◽  
Jordan Cuff ◽  
Dirk Steinke ◽  
Peter Hambäck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Related Species ◽  
In Silico ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Carabid Beetles ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Malaise Trap ◽  
Closely Related Species

As a key predator group, spiders have received a lot of attention by food web ecologists in diverse fields such as pest control, pollutant transfers, and cross-ecosystem fluxes. The difficulty involved in studying their diet has led to the use of new technologies such as metabarcoding of gut contents. The amplification of a broad range of spider prey without amplifying spiders themselves is challenging and, until now, an efficient universal primer purposed for this has not existed. We developed a novel forward primer (NoSpi2) targeting the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene. The primer was designed not to amplify spiders of the oval calamistrum clade (Lycosidae and closely related species) while still amplifying most other invertebrates. NoSpi2 was tested together with the reverse primer BR2 in silico, in vitro on single specimens of prey and spiders, on mock and malaise trap communities, and in an ecological application. In silico evaluation predicted high primer bias for spiders of the oval calamistrum clade and low bias for all other invertebrates. These results were largely confirmed by in vitro tests. Additionally, some spider families were not amplified contrary to our expectations. We demonstrated a high efficiency for the primer pair NoSpi2/BR2 which recovered up to 94% of taxa in the mock community and 85% of the taxa detected by the best invertebrate primer pair known (BF3+BR2) for the malaise trap community. The field experiment showed that Lycosidae spider DNA is not amplified by the NoSpi2 primer set. It also demonstrated a broad range of detectable prey species. We found prey from 12 orders, 67 families and 117 species. The ability of the NoSpi2/BR2 primer combination to reliably amplify prey species, without amplifying any predator reads, makes it an ideal choice for gut-content analysis for spider species of lycosids and closely related species, even enabling the homogenization of entire spider specimens without dissection. Given that the detected prey species included other spiders and carabid beetles, this primer could be used for not only diet and biological control studies, but also to study intra-guild predation.

Fecampia erythrocephala rediscovered: prevalence and distribution of a parasitoid of the European shore crab, Carcinus maenas

2002 ◽  
Vol 82 (6) ◽  
pp. 955-960 ◽  
Author(s):  
Armand M. Kuris ◽  
Mark E. Torchin ◽  
Kevin D. Lafferty
Keyword(s):  
Carapace Width ◽  
Carcinus Maenas ◽  
Ecological Assessment ◽  
Shore Crab ◽  
Site Specificity ◽  
Habitat Distribution ◽  
Large Size ◽  
Cancer Pagurus ◽  
Host Growth ◽  
Shore Crabs

An ecological assessment of Fecampia erythrocephala, reporting its habitat distribution, abundance, host specificity, size-specific prevalence, frequency distribution among hosts, effect on host growth, and its site specificity within these hosts is presented. At the Isle of Man and near Plymouth, Fecampia erythrocephala cocoons were generally abundant on the undersides of rocks in the Ascophyllum and Fucus serratus zones. Infected crabs were also most common in these habitats. Both Carcinus maenas and Cancer pagurus were parasitized at similar prevalences, although the former species was relatively much more common in the habitats where the worm cocoons were abundant. Fecampia erythrocephala did not infect crabs larger than 11 mm carapace width, and prevalence decreased significantly with crab size. Prevalences reached 11% in areas where cocoons were abundant. Together with the large size of these worms relative to the size of the host crabs and the observations on worm emergence, these life history features indicate that F. erythrocephala is a parasitoid of young shore crabs. Fecampia erythrocephala cocoon abundance is often high in localized areas and size-prevalence information suggests that worms mature rapidly in these crabs. This suggests that F. erythrocephala is an important contributor to crab mortality and to the ecology of shore crabs at these sites.

Foraging behavior of juvenile Carcinus maenas (L.) and Cancer pagurus L.

2001 ◽  
Vol 139 (6) ◽  
pp. 1135-1145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mascar&#x000F3; M. ◽  
Seed R.
Keyword(s):  
Foraging Behavior ◽  
Carcinus Maenas ◽  
Cancer Pagurus
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